The Perfect Stranger
by Princess Jadykins
Summary: Yami is a half vampire on the run from his kind and happens to cross paths with Tea who he is instantly drawn to, but can he risk falling in love?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone!**

**Okay this is a little something I came up with recently and have been reluctant to write it, but someone told me I should so I did…but I want to leave it up to you guys so please read and see if it has potential and if I should continue. Reviews will be much appreciated.**

**Rating: Definitely an M! Lime directly ahead!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I do own the story, which is copyrighted to me, and some of the new characters will also belong to me. Yeah Yeah you know, so good. **

Chapter One

A soft, gentle breeze lightly caressed her bare skin, as it drifted in through the open windows that stared out onto Domino City, which despite the late hour of the night, bustled with activity.

Tea's dazzling azure orbs, opened softly as she awakened, catching an enchanted glimpse of the bright full moon that hung heavily and alone in the dark velvet night sky. Usually she was afraid.

The dark brought whatever hid in the light, monsters that tormented man since the beginning of time, yet it also forced one to confront their fears, which sometimes were scarier than the thing that lived in the closet.

Her father was one of those things.

His face peered out of the shadows, sneering down at her with a grotesque expression that made her sick and weak and almost always terrified. And when the light came, he disappeared, but she always feared the night, for his last promise to her was that he would come back.

Yet, as she lay in the safety of her protector's arms, which were wrapped strongly around her slim frame, the fear that she had had of the darkness no longer consumed her.

Turning her gaze onto his godly perfect face, she once again gasped in awe of his beauty, still not used to his perfection that far outweighed any human's. His face was completely relaxed and his eyes closed, seeming to be peacefully asleep, but she knew that he was instinctively alert for any posing threats.

Her mind went over their sinful acts earlier that night, feeling her pulse jerkily pound against her chest as arousal began to sink in through her senses…

He gently brushed a few rebellious strands of hair away from her eyes, staring deeply into her blue orbs with a controlled intensity that seemed to burn a hole deep inside her soul.

In that moment she knew she loved him. 'Take me- just take me,' she silently pleaded him with her thoughts, the only place where she dared to say anything intimate or passionate to him. She noticed his eyes glow for a short second, before he reluctantly brought his lips down gently onto hers...

_She had only read about the explosive sensations that flamed through her at that moment, taking her completely by surprise. He bit down gently on her lip, sliding his tongue gently over its surface before suckling on it._

_She pulled herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck a little less gently and deepened the kiss. She felt him shudder as his control began to slip away to a point of no return. He had only meant to take it lightly, but it was slowly turning into something less innocent._

_Her skin felt hot against his, and before he knew it an uncomfortable needy ache swelled below his belt line. He broke the kiss hastily, though the desire in his eyes was as evident as the fear in them. "We shouldn't," he whispered huskily, attracting Tea even more to him._

_She breathed in heavily, trying to regain control over her body, which would have crumbled down into a pathetic puddle if he hadn't held her as securely as he did. 'Why?' she wondered, desperately lusting for his intimate touch and passionate kisses. "Its too dangerous." He said softly, but deep down they both knew that he would never hurt her._

_She shook her head; a spark of confidence allowing her to go further than she had ever dared. "Not when I'm with you Yami."_

She looked at him affectionately while he slept. The warmth of his presence kept her oblivious to the cold breeze that wrapped around their bare bodies that were only half covered by a silky white linen sheet. The words she had repeated to him the still replayed in her mind. When she was with him, she never felt that she was in any danger.

He made her feel safe. He made her feel loved...

_He gently pressed her up against the wall, well as gentle as he could be, dragging his hands up along her sides while they shared a steamy kiss. Gripping his shoulders, she hoisted herself up so that her legs could wrap around his waist, feeling how hard he was when she brushed up against a rather noticeable bulge in his skintight biker leather pants._

_She could feel his pulse racing in time with hers, and knew that there was no going back now. She ran her hands along his broad shoulders, taking short breaths of admiration by how iron hard his muscles were. She had to see him without his shirt on._

_She hastily began to pull at the hems of his black tank top, lifting it over his head in a swift jerky movement and found herself frankly flabbergasted. Noticing her shocked expression, he smirked amusedly. "Like what you see?"_

_His abs were so perfectly chiseled that she would have easily mistaken him for a Greek god statue, not to mention he had an eight-pack that guys would have killed for…what was not to like?_

_She smiled encouragingly at him, her seducing technique working like a magnet to the mettle. She found herself securely held in his strong embrace and carried to the bed, which offered a more comfortable setting for their 'deed'._

_He didn't throw her down roughly like all the other guys had in her past, or fall down on top of her like she had been to heavy to carry…Instead he carefully laid her down on the silky sheet spreading with cautious eyes that begged hers for permission._

_She clutched his hand and pulled him on top of her, purposely grinding against him suggestively; kicking whatever thought he had of backing out, completely out of the apartment's window, seven stories high from the concrete sidewalk below._

_She sung their bodies around so that she was on top of him, straddling his hips with her knees. It was the only time she had ever felt powerful enough to have control over him. Smiling seductively down at him she began to undo her buttoned up top in slow motion, while rocking gently up and down over his lower regions._

_She could see the desirable effect that was taking place in his dazzling crimson orbs, and yet saw the desperate control that fought to keep its place._

_Luckily she hadn't chosen to wear a bra that day; the stupid thing would have gotten in the way. She slithered out of it with ease, tossing it to the floor in perfect motion, loving the look of lustful awe that formed on Yami's face. She truly was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen._

_She slid her hands over his chest making her way down to the almost unbearably aching part of his body. After tracing her fingers gently over the buckle of his belt, she began to undo it, watching delightfully as he squirmed beneath her touch. She resisted the urge to say one of the cheap lines she had been taught to say, to all of her previous boyfriends, 'wow you really are a big boy aren't you?' after deciding that Yami wasn't the type to have enjoyed something like that._

_Instead she semi-roughly gripped onto it torturously, massaging the tip with her forefingers, ripples of excitement dancing gloriously through her body as her lower regions too, burned with excitement._

_Yami let out a stifled moan, gripping onto the bed sheets, his eyes closing as ripples of electrifying pleasure coursed through his aroused body. It was time for her to take the next step as she lowered herself down and took his length into the warmth of her mouth._

_Her jerked at the sudden contact, but soon fell into waves of passion as she began to bob up and down, speeding up her actions as she went. He arched his back as he came close to reaching his limit. It had never felt like this before, his sensations seemed to be intensified._

_He was surprised to see that Tea didn't spit him out, but instead swallowed every bit of him, which was quite remarkable really, but he wasn't about to let her spend another minute unattended, and pulled her under him, giving him all the power he needed over her…_

_A light blush formed on Tea's face as she remembered how he looked at her. His eyes that once had been so cold and angry, and overall frightening, had warmed into hers. He didn't look at her with scorn or just lust. In fact his eyes barely held lust at all, what she saw was care…and dare she say it love._

_He trailed butterfly kisses along her collarbone making his way to her perky breasts that were just too irresistible to resist. He flicked his tongue over her right nipple before suckling on it, earning her low aroused moan that gave him all the encouragement he needed to continue._

_Skillfully running his hand down her side he was able to grip the waistline of he short mini skirt and tug it off without any effort whatsoever, revealing a pair of very attractive lacey black underwear that mentally begged him to yank them off._

_It wasn't long before they disappeared too._

_However, he felt uneasy about going further than what he already was…Glancing into her eyes one final time, he had to know if she trusted him, to which she eagerly responded by a look of loving trust and a simple encouraging nod, which was all he needed._

_His heartbeat racing, and the sound of her own thundering heart he continued, sliding his tongue into her delicious tasting tunnels, feeling her squirm beneath him and moan loudly as she reached her climax._

_Before he could do anymore, she gripped onto his shoulders and pulled him down for another heated kiss. He heard her thoughts before she was able to say them, 'Stop teasing me.'_

_"Very well then," he whispered huskily into her ear, aware of the shudder that coursed through her body by his words. He climbed out of his leather pants and positioned himself at her entrance. This was it, there was no going back after this, yet somehow he knew he would never regret this._

_He was somewhat glad that she wasn't a virgin; it made it easier and far more enjoyable. He didn't know how he would have handled it if Tea had started crying like most virgin girls did because of the pain the process brought them. Sliding into her was smooth and pleasurable, and both moaned in ecstasy._

_She slid her nails along his back, which broke skin, but healed before the lines were even visible. However neither even noticed as they stared into each other's eyes, passion flaming between them. He began to thrust into her quicker, picking up speed as the need between them grew vigorously._

_She moaned loudly burying her face in his chest, her climax reaching close. He held onto her as tightly as he could without hurting her, resisting every natural instinct that told him to bite her. He…wouldn't, he couldn't._

_They reached a mind-blowing climax that had left both of them breathless, collapsing in each other's arms as a cool breeze drifted in from the outside window. Tea held onto him as though he were her life support, which he ultimately was. He breathed in deeply staring into her eyes warmly with a soft smile curled onto his lips._

_"You're amazing!" she gasped, taking in his handsome features, as though she had seen him for the first time. "If that's true, then I have found my match," he whispered through a grin as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him._

As Tea remembered the passionate love she and Yami had made, she once again became aroused. No other guy had ever made her feel the way Yami had when he touched her. She felt safe in his arms, like he would never let her go or let anyone hurt her.

Shifting closer to his sleeping form, she gently planted a soft kiss on his lips, fighting back the urge to force herself on him. It wasn't a second later that he returned the kiss, clearly not asleep after all. His red eyes opened once again, and she found herself sinking in their dazzling depths that made the world seem empty and incomplete.

He pulled her closer, skin-to-skin, fire and ice, all mixing to something wonderful and passionate.

It was hard to believe how they came to be, yet Tea's mind played over the previous days events, and how much knowledge she had absorbed in what should have taken a lifetime to understand, but that didn't matter because she was with her true love and nothing could tear them apart…or so she thought…

* * *

Well what do you guys think? Stop? Keep on? I suck? hehehehehe thanks for reading enjoy your day


	2. Chapter 2

Hey again guys thanks for the reviews; they were much needed and much appreciated.

**Before I continue I'd like to explain something that's going to happen so u'all don't get totally lost. Chapter one takes place in the future, so the following chapters will now take place in the past so that you can see- well actually read- how they came to meet…got it? Good!**

**Rating: Rated M**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, but I do own the story and the new characters. **

**AN: Please enjoy.**

Chapter two

_Yami watched as the sun gracefully set behind the tall sand dunes that made up the Egyptian desert, abandoning him to whatever fate the night would bring. He felt alone once again, as though a friend had departed after a great day of play. He would miss its warmth and its protective light, but even more, the feeling of been something other than a monster._

_Twilight peaked its unwelcome head, and he instinctively knew that the time had come._

"_Brother," a voice much similar to his own called to him from behind._

_He turned away from where he had seen the sun retire, to face a mirror image of himself, standing with his arms folded and a look of mischief evident on his face._

"_Yugi, what have you done now?" Yami asked curiously._

_His twin brother smirked, an evil glint forming in his eyes. Suddenly an image of what Yugi was thinking appeared in his mind. _

"_You spiked the blood?" Yami asked incredulously, amazed by how far his brother had dared to go. "Father is going to kill you!" despite the seriousness of the situation, he couldn't help but grin, imagining a couple of drugged vampires staggering around the palace without any idea of why they couldn't think straight._

_Yugi laughed a genuine human laugh, that sounded clumsy and a little high pitched, but human all the same. It was one of the things Yami loved about him. Having his twin brother, who too was a half-breed, around him, made him feel more human than he was._

_Yugi shrugged, "If he can catch me, then I guess he will." Yami smirked knowingly. Yugi happened to be the fastest vampire ever to have lived, and that was saying a lot when half-breeds are supposed to be inferior to the vampire race._

"_By the way brother Yami, have you forgotten what day it is today?" Yugi asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. _

_He tried to think of the date, but time had stood still around the palace for so long that he had simple lost track of the days. "I'm afraid I have," he replied after a short while. _

"_Is that so?" Yugi raised an eyebrow, which disappeared behind one of his lightning bolt, blonde bangs that sparked along the side of his face._

"_Is it of any importance?" _

_Yugi tilted his head upward slightly, an unusual emotion clouding his eyes that Yami couldn't place. "Most would think so."_

"_Would you care to enlighten me?" He suddenly felt his stomach clench._

"_Today happens to be our sixteenth birthday…"_

Yami's eyes opened in time to witness a diamond-like star, dash across the sky. He would have made a wish, if he had thought that he had deserved to make one, but instead allowed it to pass over him, partly noticed and set free.

He remembered his sixteenth birthday, which had been one of his many tragedies since birth and a memory that had haunted him everyday since.

He felt a familiar burn at the back of his throat, as the cravings began to increase with a vengeance. The withdrawal symptoms were getting worse, and he found that even his hands were beginning tremble, and his constant mood swings that made him seem on the borderline of a bipolar disorder.

A gentle wind stirred around the rather dilapidated apartment building rooftop, where he had come to find peace, but instead found only disruption. Below him, a few stories down, he heard an aggressive argument breakout between a young couple, in which he was sure, was about a pregnancy test. He couldn't be clear on exactly what was said, because from one of the apartments came the godforsaken earth-shattering blare of scream metal.

"You're trash Kit! Ya don't deserve better than what you got!" A male's drunken voice bellowed from the bottom floor. Clearly arguments loud enough for the public to hear were common in this area. "Ah fuck you Stan!" The girl, who he presumed to be 'Kit' lashed.

"Don't tell me to fuck off, bitch!" Stan roared acidly. "Don't call me no bitch, you ain't shit!" Kit yelled.

Yami had to admire the girl's spirit and courage, if not stupidity, yet he didn't have the patience or the will power to remain, without the temptation of simply climbing in through one of the apartment windows and draining its owner of blood.

As he stood up, he felt his right leg clench into a spasm and almost fell to his knees in pain. He needed blood, whether he liked it or not.

A door slammed somewhere below him, and the thudding of heels stormed off angrily into the night. Peering down, he caught sight of an angry looking girl, seeming only a few years older than him, making her way blindly down a dodgy street, which even he could tell was a bad idea.

His instincts kicked in and before he knew it, he found himself hastily gliding through the air as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following her like a predator after his prey, which she was.

His hunter's abilities kicked in, which were as natural as any predator's. He could hear her blood streaming through her veins, seductively luring him through a sweet rhythmic lullaby, and smelt her delicious scent that despite the boozy taint, was quite mouth watering.

Her eyes were red and puffy as tears swelled at their corners, threatening to spill at any moment, as a soft sob escaped her tight throat.

She was an easy target, completely defenseless against the evil world around her, making her even more irresistible and desirable to him. However, as he soon discovered, he was not her only enemy.

"Hey baby!" A rather drunken voice called out from a car sinisterly parked in an ally-way between two apartment buildings. There were a few whistles and howls that came from the shadows, indicating a rather large group well hidden in the dark.

She ignored them, though slightly shaken by their sudden appearance, and tried to continue forward without revealing nervousness, but failed miserably.

"Yoh babe where ya going?" Another voice mocked. "C'me and have some fun wit J-men!" A rather ridiculous sounding voice different from the rest, which were all deep and strong, his sounded more like a fiddle than anything else.

The men began to leave their posts, emerging from the shadows in all different directions that even an experienced hunter like Yami, had been surprised. The girl seemed to melt into a panic and froze in her spot like an ice sculpture, wet eyes widened in frozen fear.

A tall basket ball player built guy staggered toward her cockily, his fingers curled around a large bottle of Jack Daniel's finest, a grotesque expression plastered on his face, which seemed to be an alien breed of what Yami could assume was lust, a drunken grin and an impersonation of a pumpkin on a Halloween display.

The big guy didn't waste time in intros and instantly gripped the girl's shoulder pulling her close to him. "Come with me baby, I'll show you what it's like to be touched by a real man!" he laughed, a disgusting and overall disturbing laugh that reminded him too much of the vampires back home.

"No I don't want to go with you!" she cried, her voice thick with emotion as tears of terror poured down her face. "Sure you do baby!" he insisted, dragging her against her will, toward the car. "She sure is sexy when she's scared, huh Rio?" One of his mindless followers inputted, seeming to dance around them as he dragged her away.

"No please! Please, somebody help!" she screamed, struggling against him. The bid guy, Rio, slapped a hand over her mouth, grinning hysterically. "Now-now baby girl you don't wana make a scene…"

"Let her go," Yami said in a stern aggravated voice that stopped them dead in their tracks. Despite his little-above-average height, his voice had always held a certain powerful strength that hinted at danger and if used correctly could strike fear into the stoniest of hearts.

However, the leader Rio ignored the chill that had run up his spine and instantly went on to challenge the stranger that dared to interrupt him. "What ya say pipsqueak?" he challenged, staring Yami right in the eye, doing his best to intimidate him, which fell flat.

"I'm sorry, were those words too big for you to understand?" Yami smirked, taking a dangerous step forward.

"Piss on outta here dip shit or we'll beat the crap outta ya!" Rio threatened, taken aback by Yami's confidence.

"I'm not leaving without the girl," he said darkly, feeling his senses burn with lustful desire as he caught the sent of blood swirling around him thickly in the air, slowly unleashing what he desperately tried to control.

"Fuck him!" Rio roared, tossing the frightened girl to the ground and charging forward like a raging animal, while the other members of his gang came at him from different angles.

'_Fools!'_

Before they could even brush against his studded black leather jacket, he leapt from the ground, gliding graciously through the sky and landed perfectly like a cat close behind them, while they all jumped forward onto an empty spot.

The cracking sound of skull meeting skull and skin whacked against skin would have been unbearable, if he hadn't enjoyed the humor of it. One surviving member, still standing made a run toward him, throwing an iron hard punch at him, but Yami caught it easily and twisted his arm into a break.

The sound of the bone snapping startled the already terrified girl and she gave a sickening shriek, covering her ears while fresh tears drenched her face.

Two new members jumped up and rushed at him, but Yami was already prepared and dodged their attacks, grabbing their heads and shoving them together to knock them out. The thud was loud, but not fatal, despite its harshness.

Only Rio remained, completely startled and taken by surprised how Yami had instantly diminished his small army of nine huge thugs, single-handedly, however Yami wasn't done just yet.

Taking an intimidating step closer to Rio he asked for the final time. "Give me the girl."

"Son of a bitch!" Rio screamed charging forward with the intention to kill, slicing a knife through the air, which Yami couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to hide.

It wasn't all that difficult to dodge; in fact he was sure that any human in a calm state of mind would have been able to do it. He simply stepped to the side in the nick of time, grabbed the knife holding hand and pulled it right out of its socket, sending Rio into screaming fits of pain. Okay perhaps not just anyone could have done that, but it had been simple enough.

Kicking Rio's legs under him, sending him to a filthy concrete landing that was anything but pleasant, Yami made his way to the hysterically crying girl, desperately attempting to keep his composure.

"Are you alright-" His words were cut off sharply as he felt the knife slice through his right shoulder blade, which was really more of a bee sting than anything else, still it infuriated him. The girl let out a horrified scream that echoed off the dodgy buildings that surrounded them, and hurt his sensitive ears so much that he flinched.

It did seem strange that her scream hurt him more than the knife wound, but he wasn't about to go into detail of his messed up body.

Turning around angrily, he glared at the perpetrator who still had his hand on the knife, which was pretty deeply imbedded in his skin, before swinging around in such a quick motion that the guy's eyes hadn't even processed it. With a powerful gesture he shoved his attacker backward, so hard that he almost seemed to fly ten meters into the air and hit the wall of an ally-way on the opposite side, which caused a rather large crack and a tiny shower of plaster.

He didn't waste time in yanking the knife out, lightly cussing under his breath as the sensitive skin surrounding the open gash stung in protest. "Damn it, what the-" he smelt blood…

Even though it was his own, it still had the intoxicating stench of a delicious aroma that brought about the erotic and passionate urgencies and urges that came with the lust for blood drinking. He struggled against it, fighting for control over himself that was near impossible.

"Thank you," her quiet voice spoke through what now seemed to be dead silence. He reluctantly looked at her, aware of her thudding heart and flowing blood, her lively charm that made her delicious.

"You saved my life," she began raising form the ground a little clumsily, massaging her elbows, which were badly scraped.

A droplet of blood fell to the ground…her blood.

He felt his pulse quicken and his breathing became heavier and labored. His focus settled on the delicate skin around her collarbone and neck, the only thing that protected what he craved from his sight.

He felt his tongue slide gently over his top lip as he became transfixed of the barely visible artery that tantalized him from such a short distance away.

She unknowingly made her way to him, her eyes soft and still startled by what had happened earlier. "Are you hurt? Oh shit, you're bleeding, we need to get you to a doctor right away-" He grabbed her arms and forced her against the back wall, pinning her tightly against it.

She smelt so wonderful and mouth wateringly delicious, and better yet she would make the pain go away. He felt his fangs begin to slide down from their hiding place, and the break in control that he had desperately tried to maintain all his life.

She looked up at him with huge startled indigo eyes that pleaded with him to stop and release her, giving way to new streams of crystal clear tears. "Please don't hurt me," she whispered, a sob escaping her throat.

He instantly woke up, as though he had been caught in a trance that had finally lifted. He backed off slowly as to not alarm her, before dashing away to quickly for her to register movement, leaving her to fend for herself against the darkness.

"Damn it!" he cursed, as he made his way to another abandoned rooftop on the other side of the neighborhood. He had almost killed her; he had her right there and had lost control. After taking a few deep breaths, he decided that he better head home and keep off the streets for a while until he could trust himself again.

Jumping off the fifth floor and landing perfectly on the ground, he made his way home, to a much more nicer part of Domino City, briefly passing a toy store in which a certain blue-eyed beauty happened to be working a late night shift in.

It was just by chance that she happened to look up in time to see him, and gasped in pure admiration. He was the most handsome guy she had ever seen in her rather boring life, with features like a dark angel.

She had never seen him before until that fateful night, but something about him drew her like metal to a magnet.

Little did they both know their paths would collide…

**Well?????? What do you guys think? Hehehe once again thanks for the reviews and have a nice day. :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey again guys thanks for the reviews; they were much needed and much appreciated.**

**Rating: Rated M**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh, but I do own the story and the new characters. **

**AN: Please enjoy. (Reminder the story is still in the past)**

**Chapter three**

**"**_Te-ea…" Her name was whispered through the darkness, taking hold of her body like a cold and clammy tentacle that temporarily cut off her oxygen supply._

_The Boogieman's footsteps echoed off her bedroom walls like thunder in a bad dream, coming toward her bed with sinister intentions that she at the age of seven, had no understanding of. _

"_Hush now baby girl, everything will be alright. I'm here now." She felt his hand come down heavily on the patch just below her knee, sliding upward to her thigh in a sickening gesture of what he called 'affection.' _

_Other children had warned her about the closet monster that crept out of the closet and kidnapped young children while they slept, taking them to a dark place similar to hell where they would remain forever. They said he was tall and frightening and of course real mean, but she had a new description of him – pure evil._

_He did this every night; he picked on her._

_After pulling the blanket off he would slide his cold hands over her body and then remove her pajama bottoms. She hated it when he did that, it felt wrong and made her feel like a 'bad girl.'_

"_I don't like it!" she had once whispered, but he gripped her arms tightly and said in a fairly convincing rasp, "But I love you and this is how two people show their love," before planting a sickening dry kiss on her lips. She had wanted to cry, even scream, but her body was frozen in shock._

_His hands investigated every inch of her body, sending sickening shivers through her entire being. Everything felt wrong and confusing and utterly disgusting, but she couldn't stop him, even when it all began to hurt…_

"_Now Tea, I only have one rule for you," He would say after each session that had left her body badly bruised and naked, and on some occasions bleeding. "This is 'our' little secret," his gruff whisper emphasizing particularly on the 'our.' "You must never tell anyone, is that understood?" He glared down at her through soulless blue eyes that mirrored hers._

_She reluctantly raised her lovely pair of wide eyes to his, her heart thudding against her chest and her stomach churning uneasily. She had to be a good girl and do as she was told. That was what her mother had taught her…_

"_Yes Daddy…I understand."_

Tea sadly glanced out of her apartment window that overlooked Domino City, the only home she had ever known. In spite of her upbringing, Tea had managed to complete high school with average grades and was accepted into Domino's finest ballet academy, which started in a few weeks time.

To pay for her studies she worked part time in Hardwick's Toy Store, owned by the ever-friendly Mr. Hardwick himself, whom not only paid her well, but was also the best father figure she'd ever had.

Even though her apartment was technically a 'little' run-down, with leaking ceilings and a plumbing system that threw a tantrum every time she used it, it was comfy and livable, even though her most frequent guests that visited her were the roaches and the occasional 'Jerry.' (AN: mice…in case you didn't get it.)

However, despite of what she had managed to accomplish - he was still in control.

It had been two years since he disappeared…more like ran away and skipped the country. Her mother had accidentally stumbled on his little 'father-and-daughter time collection, which included his stack of sick videotapes and his ever idiotic journal…Big surprise! Like hiding the things that you really don't want anyone to see, in a safe with a combination number of your daughter's birthday, is ever a good idea.

Once the news got out, he ran, but not without his final threat, to a then, fifteen-year-old version of herself. "I will come back." And here she was, stuck in a life that was slowly coming together, waiting for it to burn away before her eyes, all over again.

Of course she had several boyfriends growing up, none that she ever told him about, who all treated her the same way he did. Screw and then leave, then come back to screw again, but she didn't mind, because it didn't matter. Nobody was ever going to love her, she was after all broken goods, and who wanted broken goods?

She certainly wouldn't…would she?

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She tapped her fingers impatiently on the front counter, while watching ordinary people stream pass without even so much as a glance at what was displayed in the shop window. It had been an hour since a customer had come in, and quite frankly Tea was getting bored.

She had already swept the floors and wiped the counters, as well as dusted the shelves twice. The windows were already crystal clear and didn't need a second wash, and changing the window display wasn't required until the following week.

All that was left to do was what she was already doing. Wait for the customer.

Sadly patience had never been one of her strong points.

Pulling out a notepad, she began to draw up a tick-tack-toe battleground to pass the time, which seemed like a good idea at the time; only it sucked when you played against yourself. '_Wow, I'm really working up a sweat_!' she thought sarcastically, winning her tenth game in a row.

She would have drawn or doodled something, if she had even the slightest artistic talent, equivalent to that of a zoo chimp…but sadly she was limited to that of, which her former art teacher had assumed to be stick figures- if even- and shapes.

However, she was soon relieved of her 'challenging game' by the sound of Mr. Hardwick's ruff-edged voice thick with a British accent. "Bollocks! Has my trusty right-hand girl been reduced to a scrap piece of paper and pen on such a lovely night?"

Ultimately glad for the distraction, she found herself chuckling. "Oh no Mr. Hardwick I was just trying to see who was better at the game, my good side or my evil side."

He glanced at over his spectacles with a small grin on his face. "Now how about that? The forces of good versus evil fighting in a battle of tick-tack-toe!"

She grinned in spite of its corniness.

He walked toward her, carrying a rather large cardboard box and placed it down gently on the counter, wearing his usual friendly expression. "I have something that may put the tick-tack-toe battle to rest for a while," he said cheerfully, opening the box slightly.

"What is it?" Tea asked eagerly, trying to make herself taller so that she could see inside.

He reached in slowly, as though to purposely drag out her curiosity and pulled out something small that was wrapped in transparent, purple bubble-wrap. "This, my dear, is a new toy on the market," he said, as he undid the complicated turnings and pulling of the plastic wrap, until eventually it revealed what was inside.

Tea gasped. It looked like a robotic dog about the size of a mini football, with large glassy black eyes and an aerial looking tail pointing straight to the sky. '_Talk about ET's pet wanting to phone home._'

"What is that?" she asked through a grin.

"Robo Dog!" Mr. Hardwick responded with a mocked, snobbish flick of his nose in the air, "He happens to be from the future."

"What's he doing here then?"

Mr. Hardwick gave her a mocked surprise, "We don't ask questions we just do!"

"Do what Mr. Hardwick?" Tea said, doing her best to keep a straight face.

"Why let them take over of course!" Acting as though he were telling her a strictly confidential, government secret, he glanced around the room before leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Once the little bloody hooligans get their hands on them they'll all start coming this way for more."

His sudden advancement had made Tea extremely uncomfortable at first, as the feeling of his breath against her ear had reminded her so much of her father. However, even she couldn't help but grin at Mr. Hardwick's lighthearted attempt to make a joke.

He looked up in front of him and smiled, before glancing sideways at her and twitched his head slightly as an indication to do the same.

Without hesitation she followed his gaze and gasped inwardly as she saw 'him' again.

It was the same guy she had seen everyday for the past week, who would walk past without seeing her, but she would catch him just in time before he disappeared out of sight. There was no way she could miss him.

Although she couldn't entirely put her finger on it, she knew he wasn't like most guys who walked the streets of Domino City. He was tall, dark and handsome, as well as mysterious seeming, with a dangerous aura about him. Yet although she had never spoken to him, and was pretty sure he was completely unaware that she lived and breathed, she sensed loneliness…perhaps because she knew what loneliness really was.

"Fine looking young bloke isn't it?" Mr. Hardwick said smugly, catching her off guard.

She felt a dark tinge of pink rushing to her cheeks. "What!? No, yes, kind of…I don't know!" she gushed, shifting uncomfortably as her gaze found the floor far more interesting than her handsome crush that had walked by a mere second before.

"I've noticed that he passes by here quite frequently, must live nearby," He said with a hint of playful torment slyly blending in with casual tone.

"Oh you have?" Tea forced, her voice low and shy as her face got redder and redder…

"Indeed, as I have noticed how smitten you've become over him."

His words felt like a bombshell and if a hole had magically appeared next to her, she would have jumped in without a parachute. '_Oh just kill me now_!' she inwardly whined.

"I-I-I um-I…" she stuttered uncomfortably, feeling sweaty and under pressure.

Mr. Hardwick laughed. "Oh honestly Tea, there's no reason to be embarrassed, in fact the next time he happens to walk pass why don't you invite him in for tea?"

Tea? Was he serious? The guy looked like a rough and tough biker type of guy, one that drinks a bottle of beer for breakfast and eats the empty bottle for lunch, and Mr. Hardwick wanted her to invite him in for something like tea…hello?

She laughed nervously. "Thanks Mr. Hardwick, but he probably has a girlfriend already."

Mr. Hardwick did a typical British hand movement that served in this case as a magic feather duster that dismissed all that she had said. "Pish posh! If the unfortunate soul already has one, he clearly is in need of an upgrade to much beautiful and talented pastures," he said with a wink.

"Ha! Ha! Mr. Hardwick," Tea said rolling her eyes, a darker blush forming over the pink spaces where her skin was just recovering from the invasive blush earlier.

She glanced up one more time through the shop window, in hope that by some miracle of fate he would appear once again, just so that she could see him.

Sadly he didn't.

**Tomato comes flying through computer screen and splats on face…Turns to look at Yami with sad anime (cutey-pie) eyes in hopes that he would defend me, but he just shrugs…and now I do anime fall backward and the chair falls on top of me…**

**Hehehehehehe that was fun. Reviews are once again, always appreciated, it tells the (bull-sh## 'writer') where they are going wrong or if they should still keep going etc. So thank you so very much for the reviews you guys are awesome, and enjoy the rest of your day. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys thanks for the reviews, like I said they really helped. I hope everyone has been able to follow the story so far and aren't lost anywhere, hehehe. Anyway I won't keep you any longer, here's chapter four, please enjoy…**

**Rating: By legal rights M, but this chapter could be a K **

**Disclaimer: As if guys! The only thing I own is the story and the new characters. **

**Chapter Four**

The city's lights flickered against the darkness, as night fell over Domino City like a dark velvet drape. Once again the sun had abandoned him to the fate of the moon, his ultimate pale glowing enemy that slowly ascended above him, making him seem so small and insignificant.

Glancing away from the sight that made him feel edgy and frustrated, he turned to what was his simply 'decorated' living room, which was rather empty, having only a dark and comfortable leather couch pushed up against the wall furthest from the windows and sliding door that led out onto the balcony.

A large and fluffy black cat followed him in, running through his legs as it made its way to the kitchen, swishing its tail in a common cat-like attitude.

He smiled down at the loveable stray that he had come to know as Sassy, who came and went as she pleased, and in spite of what he was, still bossed him around with a simple green glint in her eyes that almost made him want to explain his actions when he felt he had done something wrong.

However, upon entering the kitchen, he was soon met by four other stray cats that had made his home their 'home.' Only when it suited them of course…

He opened the stainless steel fridge in one swift motion, revealing its contents that wouldn't exactly be found in an average home kitchen. The top shelf was stacked with blood bags, all well labeled and in order, a sight that would send the maid screaming.

He grabbed one of the bags labeled A+ and the milk carton before slamming the door shut. Hurried along by the moaning meows that chorused in the background.

Rolling his eyes he poured the milk in a large dish as the hungrily awaiting cats dived in for the first drink, lapping it up almost as fast as he could pour it. "Jeez calm it down before you choke," he muttered as he took the carton away, "You should all sign up for milk-aholics anonymous."

Once the cats were dealt with he found a straw and stuck it into the bag, drinking it slowly but hungrily. The burning sensation in his throat slowly died down, though not completely. The pain would never go away unless he fed; something that he would never allow himself to do again.

It had been two days since he had been out and about on the town, keeping himself locked up in an apartment that was anything but large, with nothing to do but stare at the walls and bond with the neighborhood cats. Not that he minded the cats.

He had often been tempted to paint an Egyptian scene on the white plastered walls, that were so boring and plain, but thought better of it as he didn't plan to stay in Domino for long. However, his stay wasn't scheduled to be short either, and therefore the temptation hung thickly in his bored and wondering mind.

He walked into his bedroom that was in desperate need of some colour and a theme. '_Perhaps a gothic chamber look'_… Although the idea appealed to him, as any idea that involved his creativity, he still wasn't sure if he should.

Then again that meant several weeks of moping around, wasting valuable hours…

Sassy rubbed against his legs, looking up at him with a wondering expression.

"What?" he asked her, taking a sip of the cold blood that tasted delicious despite its abnormal temperature.

'Meow!'

He sweat dropped before rolling his eyes and made his way to the king-sized bed. "Yeah I know life sucks." He flopped down on the covers, staring up at the ceiling with his darkly tainted crimson eyes. "Literally in my case," he whispered to himself, before taking another sip of his forbidden desire.

Maybe he would go for a walk later that evening…

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Hoping against hope that she would see him again, she found herself glancing up expectantly whenever she heard the sound of thudding footsteps walking along the sidewalk. Only to be discouraged when he never appeared.

It had been two painfully long days since she had seen him. The last time had been when Mr. Hardwick had pointed out her embarrassing habit of almost falling over the counter to catch a glimpse of him like an obsessed fan.

Okay…maybe she was losing her mind, but if losing her mind felt as good as it did, then she really didn't care.

She dismissed the thought that she may have fallen in love, mostly because she had promised herself that she never would. It wasn't that she didn't know him, because she did. All men were the same, they took what they wanted and then left. She didn't expect him to be any different, only this time she felt a stronger feeling towards him…something she had never felt before.

"Blimey is that the time already?" Mr. Hardwick's astonished voice came in through the back room.

Tea stifled a giggle, "It's only seven, Mr. Hardwick," she said, checking her wristwatch.

Mr. Hardwick emerged in his usual overfriendly spirit that made him such a good toy-store owner. "And yet the night is still young and beautiful for a beautiful girl such as yourself, why don't you leave early tonight and leave me to lock up."

Tea glanced at him in protest. "Oh no that's okay I can stick around for the remaining hour, no sweat!" she said through her best smile.

"Oh pish-posh, a young lass such as yourself should be out having fun with your friends, and I believe that it is my duty to decline your decline and literally shove you out of this store if needed!" He said through his cheerful grin that warmed her up inside.

"My-my Mr. Hardwick, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you wanted to get rid of me," Tea joked, crossing her arms playfully across her chest.

Mr. Hardwick smiled mysteriously, peering at her from over his glasses. "Well I have a satanic ritual to perform tonight down in the basement," he said through a chuckle, "Unless you want to join of course? Maybe you'd like the honour of calling upon the devil?"

Tea gave a stiff laugh at his joke. "Ha! Ha! Mr. Hardwick, very funny, you know that I don't approve of animal killings." She rolled her eyes, though remaining in good humor at the older man's joke.

He laughed along with her, before regaining a fatherly affectionate composure. "Go on, be a teenager for once, after all, you're only eighteen."

She gave him a pondering look, before reluctantly agreeing. "Okay, but only because I don't want to get in the way of your ritual tonight," she joked, joining in with his light-hearted laughter.

He soon stopped and tilted his head slightly to the side as though he had heard something, and then smiled joyously.

"What is it Mr. Hardwick?" Tea asked curiously.

He remained smiling and then gently raised a hand to clutch her wrist. "Go on now my dear before the hour is up," he said while gently guiding her towards the front door. Before she had a chance to say anything he opened the door for her, gesturing for her to walk out. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She struggled to turn around to face him as she found herself been gently pushed out the doorway. "But Mr. Hardwick-" for some reason she tripped and began to fall backward in slow motion, until a pair of strong arms caught her around the waist and hoisted her up.

"Oh gosh I'm such a klutz, thanks for-" she turned to face her rescuer, only to have her pulse race three times its normal speed.

"Don't mention it," he answered kindly, his fiery red eyes unreadable, though his tone was calmly collected and indescribably charming.

It was him!

She forced herself to speak, even though his presence made her incapable of speaking or thinking, and quite frankly the dark tinge added to his eyes made him seem like he was peering into her soul rather than just skimming briefly over her assets.

"Of course I have to mention it, you saved me from what was sure to be one heck of a bruise tomorrow morning, I owe you my life," she joked, nervously brushing away a few rebel bangs that threatened to cover her eyes.

'_Interesting choice of words_,' he thought as he observed the young beauty before him that seemed no younger than himself. "Well it's not everyday that I get to save a damsel in distress."

She felt herself blush; only she hoped that he couldn't see it.

"This city must be pretty boring for you then," she joked lightly.

He smirked, it was almost as if she knew. "Quite."

She quickly stumbled for something to say, but only one thing came out. "I'm Tea. Tea Gardner!" she chocked, as air lodged itself in her throat. She tried not to cough even though she couldn't breathe and her eyes were beginning to water.

"I'm Yami…Amamri," it was the only surname he could think of, yet strangely he felt guilty for it. She suddenly coughed, trying her best to control it, but failed miserably, giving in to a series of unavoidable little gags until she could eventually breathe again, all the while thinking the same worried thoughts that he couldn't help but smile at.

'_OMG this is so embarrassing! He totally wants to run! Oh gosh why does God hate me? This is so not cute!_' she thought miserably as she coughed, unaware that her thoughts were been read.

"I'm sorry," she coughed with a hand firmly placed over her mouth.

He gave a low chuckle and took a small step forward. "Don't be," he said softly, allowing his expression to soften slightly, which she gladly appreciated. "Thanks…again," she added, amazed by how handsome and ultimately breath taking he looked.

Reading her thoughts about him sent alarm bells ringing through his body and he quickly decided to end it there and there before things got 'complicated.'

"I must apologize, but unfortunately my presence was requested somewhere else somewhat ten minutes ago and I have been running a little late," he said politely, flashing a tiny smile.

Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh of course, sorry for keeping you," she gushed sheepishly taking a side step to move out of his way.

"Not at all, besides I'm sure we'll run into each other again," he smiled, almost sad to leave her.

A look of hope glittered amongst her lovely blue orbs. "Yeah I'm sure we will."

He nodded once before casually disappearing down the road, opposite of where she was heading.

As she watched him leave, the feeling of- well, passion for life, washed over her like a tidal wave, as though something she had waited for her whole life had finally made its appearance. Maybe she had waited for him or maybe she was just playing a game with herself.

Either way, she couldn't help but smile…something she hadn't done in a very long time.

**Sooooooo, what do you guys think? Can't wait to hear. Friendly reminder that all reviews are appreciated and welcome. :D see you guys later.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow chapter five already and I do believe this is my longest chapter yet. So far we have learnt of Tea's abusive past and had a glimpse of Yami's past in Egypt as well as his soft spot for cats…awwww! Thanks for the reviews guys, it tells me you're still reading and enjoying it. Please enjoy…**

**Rating: M **

**Disclaimer: Yeah right I own Yu-gi-Oh as well as a castle made entirely out of gold and engaged to Josh Hartnett. **

**Chapter Five**

He hadn't known of what to make of the girl who fell into his arms, only that she was beautiful and had an incredibly lightweight. When he had looked into her eyes for the first time, he saw a flash of underlying pain, deeply imbedded within the swirling ocean of her eyes. It was something that he couldn't stop thinking about.

He hadn't planned on coming into contact with humans that evening, but as time progressed he had found himself surrounded at every corner, finding solitude only when taking a back street that seemed abandoned, its only prowlers seeming to be a few stray cats that noisily knocked over trash cans and growled loudly in response.

Thoughts of the girl he had come to know as Tea swam through his mind, unlocking what still remained human in him. Sure she was hot. Her body perfectly modeled and beautiful, with the attractive brunette and blue-eyed combination, and a dreamy voice that he had actually enjoyed listening to, made her so irresistible, but in another way from what he was used to.

When he held her in his arms, he hadn't struggled against his bloodlust, for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. In fact he hadn't even thought of it. The only thought that went through his mind was, 'who was she,' and of course exactly how does one fall backwards without tripping over anything.

Just thinking about her made him smile.

There were no streetlights up ahead, but that didn't faze him in the slightest. As the street darkened, his night vision instantly kicked him, allowing him to see his surroundings in perfect clarity, almost as though it were during daylight hours. Yugi had once told him that it took the fun out been able to prowl around during the night, but Yami had disagreed.

He hated the dark.

It made him feel powerful and free, like he owned the world and whatever it had to offer him, which was defenselessly there for his taking. The air he breathed was like an intoxicating drug that made him feel giddy and confident, and together they made him feel free…but he wasn't.

The price of freedom was the damning of his soul, and becoming like the monster he had so often seen in the soulless eyes of his fellow vampire kind.

Even if it freed him of the pain and weakness his thirst brought, and gave him the strength he needed to conquer the world, as well as the guiltless betrayal of taking what he desired without further remorse…he refused to give in, and waited for the weakness that the rising sun brought him.

Perhaps that was why when he saw the anguished distress that dwelled within Tea's shallow pooled eyes, he instantly fell victim to one of his many unconquered weaknesses, which he rather ignored than rid himself of.

In every way they were different, but one thing bonded them together, which Yami realized somewhere deep inside himself, that he had known all along, even while standing and listening to her scold herself for making the idiot of the year's award.

The look in her eyes had been the same look in his whenever he saw them in the mirror of his barely-there reflection.

They had both felt pain.

An ear-piercing scream shattered his train of thoughts and jolted his senses. Once again trouble stirred on the horizons, and like a piece of metal tempted by the attraction of a magnet, he found himself been drawn to the location, which was directly ahead of him. He only hoped that there was no blood…

* * *

(_A few minutes before_)

Tea hadn't meant to go through the west side route, which practically led to the particularly worse parts of Domino City. It just happened.

She couldn't even remember how she got there; only that her gaze had been solely ahead of her, while her mind traveled to the alluring crimson eyes of her 'favourite stranger' Yami.

She sighed. _Well that explains why I don't remember anything_.

A muffled sound of movement startled her as it came unexpectedly from behind, causing her to whirl around blindly as she squinted into the darkness. She felt eyes on her, even though she couldn't see them.

"Hello?" she called out weakly, taking a small step backward. There was no answer, but she suddenly felt surrounded.

Taking a deep breath she decided on taking an old phrase into consideration, 'sink or swim,' and began to hastily walk forward, deciding that a doggy-paddle was better than nothing. She had managed to walk about ten paces when the 'pool' threw her a wave.

A large figure emerged from the shadows, just about the largest man she had ever seen. "Hey cutie… you're not lost are you?" His words slid from his mouth in a smooth dangerous sort of way that reminded her of a snake's tongue. There was a large ugly scar scraped across his cheek in a half moon shape, which was probably his most iconic feature on his body…after all, he was most certainly nothing to look at.

He dragged a cigarette to his mouth and breathed in deeply, his snakelike eyes scanning her body in a perverted way… not that she wasn't used to it.

"No, I'm just heading down the road," she said in a voice much too soft to be convincing. She began to take a step forward, but he blocked her path with a simple side step.

"Oh come on, stay a little while," He said as he walked up to her. She heard footsteps behind her, and glanced around slightly in time to see four figures much taller than herself surround her. She was completely blocked from escape.

"Yeah baby, stay a bit!" A man purred from behind her, smelling of liquor and weed smoke. She felt hands grasp her shoulders and pull her backwards towards the darkness of an ally, while the large scar faced man charged toward her with an evil grin on his face.

She knew what they were going to do to her, and yet felt nothing. Not fear, not joy, not anger or sadness. The only thing she existed for was for them. It didn't matter that she had been a good student or that she had been accepted at the best ballet school in Domino City, it didn't matter that she dreamed of dancing Swan Lake as a professional ballet dancer on stages across the globe, all that mattered was that she could give them something.

It hadn't mattered what she wanted, back when she was seven - when the one person that was supposed to help her make all her dreams come true and protect her from people like these, became the thing in the dark – and it didn't matter now eleven years later when it would all happen again.

She felt herself been forced on the ground and held down by her wrists, while the larger man knelt down over her, waving a sharp pocket knife over her breasts.

She felt her buttons been clipped off, one by one, while the sounds of pants unzipping echoed in her ears. "A pretty thing like you, shouldn't be wondering around these streets at night, it could be dangerous," The words were echoed in laughter that hideously shredded the peaceful quiet air of the night.

She felt him rip off her shirt with a painful yank that pinched her skin, and grabbed hold of one of her breasts, grinding hard against her thigh as he felt his erection come on. She heard muffled moans come from the men whose faces were hidden in the shadows, clearly enjoying the view.

She felt disgusted as his rough, calloused hands darted downward over her thighs until they reached the bottom hems of her short denim skirt. "Don't worry baby, I'll give it to you nice and hard!" He growled grotesquely, ripping off her lacy panties.

It was at that moment, that through her stone sculptured trance, something inside her snapped. Yami's kind face flashed through her mind, and she suddenly felt as though all the strength she had kept locked inside her suddenly burst forward into all her limbs.

With all her might she brought her knees up in line with her stomach and kicked forward, catching him squarely on his chest. He flew backwards in surprise, letting out what sounded like an animal howl before hitting the concrete ground.

Then, taking in a deep breath, she screamed for all she was worth…

* * *

It was just as he had feared.

Once he had neared the location of the scream, the smell of blood grew stronger. He felt his undeveloped fangs itching against his gums as he grounded his teeth together, the thirst powerfully coming over him. He was about to turn and walk away, before he lost control, but then he caught her lovely strawberry scent.

_Tea_!

For reasons unknown a sudden overwhelming rage consumed him and he charged at lightning speed through the ally-way, momentarily forgetting to restrain himself as he grabbed the first attacker that was dangerously close on top of her. He flung the guy across the street, which smashed head first into the pavement before landing on his back.

The others all suddenly aware of their leader's failed flying lesson, gasped in horror, blindly unaware of Yami's presence before he attacked again, this time targeting the men who held her down. Without a second's hesitation he smashed their heads together, creating an unearthly crack before letting them fall limply to the ground.

"What the fu-" the shortest member of the thugs, who stood just an inch shorter than Yami, never had the chance to finish, because before he knew it, he found himself flung sideways as a fist crushed against his cheek, crushing his jaw instantly.

Only one remained; the coward of the pack. Yami caught movement on the side of his eagle-like eye as the remaining thug tried to make a hasty escape. "Not so fast!" he growled, as he leapt through the air and landed directly in front of the coward before him.

"Jeez man I didn't mean trouble!" the guy squirmed, backing up against the wall.

Yami fumed. He felt like ripping the guy's head off, or tearing him to pieces, but instead before the scum of the Earth could talk back, he grabbed him by the throat and applied pressure, watching in amusement as his face went from a coffee colour to purple in a few seconds. "I should kill you!" he hissed angrily, before control slowly started to settle in.

He took one last look at the guy who was slowly dying in his grip and then tossed him aside with ease like he was nothing but garbage…, which Yami believed he was.

Tea hadn't moved, in fact she seemed frozen in shock and fear, though he was pretty sure she couldn't see a thing. He walked up to her as loudly as he could, trying to come out of the element of surprise that he had been so naturally gifted with.

"Whose there?" she asked fearfully, covering her bare chest with folded arms. He began to take of his prized leather jacket, revealing his muscular arms and broad shoulders. "Here put this on," he said softly placing the jacket over her shoulders, before turning away to give her some privacy.

He read her thoughts, which were centered on how hot and familiar his voice sounded, and how good his jacket smelt. She seemed to be deliberately avoiding thoughts about what had happened to her, though bits and pieces leaked in there and there, but almost always she covered it up with how good a simple whiff of his jacket was.

"Can you see?" He asked her suddenly, his eyes still avoiding her form until she pulled in the last silver button of his jacket. "Not…really," she struggled, her shock quickly wearing off. "May I help you up?" He asked, cautiously keeping a distance away from her, in case she was uncomfortable with him being too close after the kind of attack she had endured.

She surprised him more than anyone. "Please." Her small voice, so unlike the girl he had just met two hours earlier. He gently hoisted her up but the waist, but stopped instantly when she cried out in pain. "Oww!" she gasped through what sounded like a sob, and he quickly lifted her down.

"What's wrong?" he asked, but scanned her himself before she could answer. "My ankle hurts," she said through clenched teeth, whining softly. Unlike human eyes, he was able to see clearly in the dark, and found her ankle was indeed very swollen, which was probably just a sprain.

He smiled as he wondered how she had managed to accomplish that. Glancing in the direction of the guy to lay a few meters away from them, who was indeed extremely tall, he had wondered if it was her handy work that had been partly responsible for the large head-wound at the back of his bald head.

After reading her mind and finding that she was very relaxed in his care, he decided that he would simply carry her out. Placing an arm around her legs and another supportively around her back, he gently lifted her from the ground, careful not to make any sudden movements that would frighten her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her body stiffening as though she had second thoughts about trusting him. "I'm not going to hurt you Tea," he said softly, realizing how it sounded like a promise not only to her, but to him as well.

She gasped in surprise. "How do you know my name?"

He smirked as he slowly began to walk toward the light, holding her protectively against him. "It's me, Yami, we really have to stop meeting like this." His attempt at a light-hearted joke did not go unappreciated.

She laughed lightly as her cheeks flushed pink.

'_OMG! He's here! He saved me! Again!...oh shit he's going to think I'm a total klutz! Oh jeez I can only imagine what he must think of me, but who cares – hello he's like totally carrying me now, and I mean he's like wow-kind-of strong! Oh this is officially the best day of my life!' _He couldn't help but grin as he read her thoughts.

She shifted a little nervously in his arms, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Aren't I a little heavy for you to be carrying me all the way back?" she asked cutely, unaware that heavy for him was holding up a small mini van and three-hundred pound bus driver for more than an hour.

"You're paper-weight actually," he said honestly, giving her a reassuring smile, which definitely made her feel less anxious, but then she noticed how cold his skin felt.

"Oh my gosh, I'm totally letting you freeze!" she worried; glancing at the leather jacket that protectively covered her bare arms. He laughed, earning a worried look from Tea. "I may feel cool, but I've been beating the crap out of Domino City's 'lowest,' so I'm actually pretty warm right now."

Her face fell, and suddenly after reading her thoughts he knew why.

"And I enjoyed every minute of it," he added truthfully. Picking on dangerous bullies had always put him in a good mood, not that he was a violent person, but because of how good it felt to dish out the pain and suffering that was so willingly given…

"But you could have gotten seriously hurt and it would have been my fault," she said sadly, and Yami could see with blissful ease the sad look in her eyes that mixed with old and new painful emotions that he was all too familiar with.

His face suddenly hardened as he became serious, an almost frightening version of himself that she seemed to be wary of, as her body tensed under his grip. "No. What happened to you tonight was not your fault, and what happened to them was not your fault either, what happened tonight was their fault and they paid for the consequences that their idiotic choices brought them."

He softened his gaze keeping eye contact with her lovely blue orbs that reminded him of the ocean. "And you needn't worry about me, I do believe I have said before, that's it not every day that I get to save a damsel in distress."

She smiled softly. She had never heard such caring words come from a guy before, to her that is.

"Hey how about we stop at the little 24 hour coffee shop over there and get a cup of coffee and something to eat?" He said after a minute, bringing her attention to a dodgy little store on the corner.

'_It looks like a whore house.'_ She thought, and Yami had to use every ounce of will power not to burst out laughing. "I know what it looks like, but trust me these places are so much fun," he said softly through an encouraging grin, which Tea simply couldn't resist.

Carrying her out of the cold street and into the diner, neither of them even so much as turned to glance back behind them, where four of the five bodies of her attackers lay.

Despite the oozing wound on the back of his head, and the minor concussion he sustained not only from the first time when he had been kicked backwards, but also from been thrown across the street, the larger than normal thug leader Brent, was not about to lose his prey.

Placing his hand in his pocket he felt the cold metallic surface of his pocket knife, his trusty sidekick, which he would use to get his girl back…whether the 'punk' was going to give up the easy way, or the hard way…

* * *

**Oh Yami is such a hero isn't he? Hehehe let me go and start on the next chapter, hope this one was entertaining enough. Thanks again for the reviews and your support, and I'll see you again soon. Sav' over and out. XD**


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